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Six members of the House of Representatives from Oyo State have formally defected from the Peoples Democratic Party to the Allied Peoples Movement, further strengthening Governor Seyi Makinde’s growing influence within his new political platform ahead of the 2027 elections. The defections were announced on Tuesday during plenary at the House of Representatives as lawmakers resumed legislative activities after the Eid-el-Kabir break. 
Speaker Tajudeen Abbas read the lawmakers’ letters of defection on the floor of the House. The lawmakers who left the PDP for the APM are Anthony Adebayo Adepoju, Adedeji Stanley Olajide, Sunday Makanjuola Ojo, Oyedeji Oyeshina, Folajimi Oyekunle, and Abass Adigun. In their separate letters, they attributed their departure to the prolonged leadership crisis, internal divisions, and unresolved factional disputes within the PDP, arguing that the situation had made it difficult for them to pursue their political objectives ahead of the next general election. 
The development comes just weeks after Governor Makinde himself left the PDP for the APM and declared his intention to contest the 2027 presidential election on the party’s platform. With the latest defections, six of Oyo State’s 14 members in the House of Representatives are now aligned with Makinde’s new political movement, a development analysts view as evidence that the governor has retained substantial control of his political structure despite exiting the PDP. 
The defections are part of a broader wave of political realignments taking place across Nigeria as parties reposition ahead of the 2027 elections. During the same plenary session, several lawmakers from other states also announced changes in party affiliation, reflecting the increasing fluidity of Nigeria’s political landscape. Political observers believe the movement of six federal lawmakers in a single day represents a significant setback for the PDP in Oyo State and could trigger further defections as politicians continue to align themselves with emerging political forces ahead of the presidential and governorship contests. 
